First serious stop was a friend's tables who I bought a very nice 1969 Marlin 39A from a few months ago. He didn't disapoint, he had a like new 1975 Remington 581 on his .22 rack he'd gotten from an estate. I thought the price a bit high and we dickered around a bit. Well, we settled at a price for the 581 plus a very nice 1940 Remington 121 for $900. OTD for both. I paid for them and told him to put them under his table and I would pick them up on my way out.
1940 Remington 121 Fieldmaster
1975 Remington 581
Almost at the end of the tables I noticed a guy with a bunch of vintage hunting rifles and there was even a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 among them! I ask to look at the M-70 and liked it right off, a .30/06, can't go wrong with that!..and made in 1953! The fellow told me the rifle had been glass bedded, stock refinished, and checkering refreshed, the tag was $900. He happily took $850. OTD.
All in all a good day at the show, but wait. It was also a good day at the range!
First the Model 70 with my groundhog load, a Speer 125gr. TNT over a near max charge of H-4350. Bore sighted an older Burris 3-9 Signature and first shot was high and left right under the ''3'' at the top of the target. Adjust and a .30 hole 3'' under the ''2''. Another adjustment put me in the black circle around the orange dot at 10 O'clock. We couldn't see it with either my scope or my brother's so I shot another which landed about 1/8'' below the previous shot, but we couldn't see that one either so we walked down and found them, then decided to shoot another without adjusting the scope just to see where it would go. Right through the previous hole at 9 O'clock! Adjust right, (too far) and a hole at 2 O'clock in the black circle of course making us walk down range again. Back two clicks and 12 O'clock IN THE BLACK CIRCLE! Down 2 clicks after a third walk and near perfect center shot in the orange, followed by four more. IT SHOOTS! IT SHOOTS! Then for giggles I shot the Remington 121 and got the ''group'' at the lower right target. Hey, open sights, 100yds, .22lr...
Off to the 25/50 yd range and had an enjoyable time killing shale chips on the backstop with the Remington 121 Fieldmaster and my Marlin 39A. The Remington had a clearer rear sight and I did better with it off hand than with the Marlin. I sighted the Remington 581 in and shot groups at 50yds. Not bad, not bad at all! Those 581's have a reputation for accuracy. The Weaver 4X was low, but mostly centered.